Rotary drilling apparatus.



No. 862,954. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

- J. A. WIGGS, JR.

ROTARY DRILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED-APB. 10, 1906;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 862,954. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907. J. A. WIGGS, J11. ROTARY DRILLINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APE.10, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 .1 NVE/VTOR 4.1%, Wis

Alforney NO. 862,954.. BATENTED AUG. 13, 1907. J. A. mass, JR.

ROTARY DRILLING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION I'ILBD APR. 19, 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

[/VVE/VTOR for boring wells and similar purposes and more espe-' ciallyto that kind or class of such mechanism wherein.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JAMES A. WIGGS, JR, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

ROTARY DRILLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed April 10,1906. Serial No. 310,948.

be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to rotary drilling mechanism a rotary table orring is employed, carrying gripping cones, jaws or rollers provided withmeans for closing the same on a tube, stem or rod so as to grip thelatter and compel it to turn with the said ring. The chief object of thepresent invention is to provide improved means for permitting thevertical movement of the. tube or rod and the gripping devices in theoperation of the machine, without removing the said devices from contacttherewith.

The said invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter claimed foreffecting this end and in certain other details of the machine forimproving its general efiiciency and durability, all substantially ashereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aside elevation of amachine, partly in central vertical section, embodying my invention;Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 represents a sideeleva- .tion of the machine, the driving shaft and frame being partlybroken away; Fig. 4; represents a detail perspective view of one ofthenuts 16; Fig. 5 represents a detail perspective view of one of thearms 9;, Fig. 6 represents a detail perspective view of one of thebrackets 14; Fig. 7 represents a detail view of one of the standards 7,in side elevation.

A designates the bed-frame of the machine and i the base plate fastenedthereto by bolts (1. Bearing caps B B hold the rotary driving shaft 24on said plate and frame and are provided with bushings b, also withoil-cups d for lubricating the same. Said shaft is driven throughsprocket wheel 23 or its equivalent, which is sleeved on said shaft andclutched at will by a clutchcollar 21 splined on said shaft, this clutchbeing operated by a shifting lever 22. The inner end of said shaft bearsa table-driving bevel gear pinion 27, which meshes with a circularseries of cog teeth 2 on' the under side of rotary table 2, supported onantifriction rollers 4 in a race way 4*; the latter being formed partlyin said table and partly in said base plate. The said table has adownwardly extending cylindrical portion 2' of reduced diameter topresent a downward face in which the upper part of said raceway isformed;

opening of the'baseplate and turns therein. Said table has a centralcircular opening 2 from top to bottom. The tube or rod to be clamped androtated extends in operation down through the said central opening orbore of the table and of course through the 'base plate surrounding thesame. The two pairs of gripping rollers 30 are loose on their shafts 15,which are mounted at their ends in the inner perforated ends of arms 9and held thereto in any convenient way. The outer ends of said arms aremounted freely on outer shafts 8, which are parallel to said shafts 15.These outer shafts 8 are held in arms 14 of brackets 14 which inclosethe nuts 16 of the said right and left screw-threaded adjusting shafts6.

Each nut is convex on its periphery and the bracket is shaped internallyto fit the same, thereby allowing for any slight imperfection of fit inthe other parts. There is also a ratchet wheel 18, fast on the middlepart of' each screw-shaft, engaged by a pawl 19 carried by a bifurcatedlever 19, mounted thereon. Each lever 19 and the ratchet wheel which itstraddles are located between the upwardly extending bifurcations of asupport or standard 7, having a cap 3 bolted thereon, to complete thebearing forthe middle part of that screw-shaft. The two'standards 7 arein all respects alike and support the entire gripping mechanism. Theirstems 7 are set into holes 5 constituting sockets flush with the .top ofthe table, such sockets and stems being of sufficient depth to permitconsiderable upward play of the said stems and of the whole grippingmechanism, allowing for-the jumping of the drilling tool when it strikessomehard substance and for all vertical jar in running the machine. Ifthe jumping .should be so extreme as to displace the standards therewill be nothing but the smooth table below the shafts and theirappurtenances, and little risk of injury; whereas if the bearing wereopen and the standards not vertically movable, the shafts 6 might springconsiderably above the said standards and break the bifurcations of thelatter in their descent. Also a slight upward movement would dislodgethem.

The arms 9, inner shafts 15 and gripping rollers 30 are free to rock onshafts 8 without disturbing the latter; also to permit the independentvertical motion of the shafts 8 and standards 7 without loosening theirgrip on the drill tube or drill rod. This independence of motion betweenthe supporting standards and the gripping devices affords an additionalprotection against injury from jumping, since it permitsa certain amountof upward motion without lifting the standards. It also permits thetool-carrying tube or rod to be slightly raised by hand, when there isoccasion to repair or sharpen the tool, without separating any parts orchanging the grip.

In the periphery of the rotary table 2 is formed an annular groove 2which receives the inwardly presented curved rib or flange 31 of each offour supporting and fastening legs frames 31 i di d by dotted I nutsinclosed by said brackets,screw-shafts engaging the,

lines in Fig. 2, arranged around the said table and secured .by bolts 31passing through their bases, slots 31 having been provided in saidframes. The base of each of said frames is guided and braced by a pairof guide walls or raised lugs 31 on base plate 1'. The said frames whilein operative position securely clamp the said table to the said baseplate, while permitting rotary motion to said-table. They also brace itagainst strain incident to the action of the drilling tube or rod andare themselves braced against lateral or torsional strains by the wallsor raised lugs 31.

Having thus described my invention,- what I claimas new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rotary drilling machine, a set of tube-gripping devices, incombination with a rotary table, provided with sockets, supports forsaid gripping devices set freely into said sockets and caps covering-thetops of said supports to hold the said gripping devices in placesubstantially as set forth.

2. In a rotary drilling machine, a rotary table provided with sockets incombination with standards set into said sockets and bifurcated toafford shaft bearings, caps completing said bearings, screw shaftsmounted in said bearings, means for rotating said screw-shafts, nutsengaging said screw-shafts and devices operated by said nuts andcarrying the gripping r0llers, all of the above mentioned mechanismbeing supported by the said stahdards substantially as set forth.

3. In rotary drilling. mechanism, the combination of tube-grippingdevices with adjusting screw shafts, means for supporting said shafts,nuts engaging said shafts and brackets inclosing these nuts andsupporting said gripping devices, the said nuts being convex on theirouter faces and the said brackets similarly shaped internallysubstantially as set forth.

4.-In rotary drilling mechanism, the combination of tube-grippingrollers arranged in pairs and their shafts 15, with parallel shafts '8and arms connecting the former shafts to the latter so as to allow theshafts 15 to rise and fall independently, brackets connected to shafts8,

said nuts, means for rotating said screw shafts to close or open thegripping devices, supports for said screw shafts and a rotary tablecarrying said supports sub] stantially as set forth.

5. In rotary drilling mechanism, the combination of tube-grippingrollers arranged in pairs aid their shafts 15, with parallel shafts 8and arms connecting the former shafts to the latter so as to allowshafts 15 to rise and fall independently, brackets connected to shafts'8, nuts inclosed by said brackets, screw-shafts engaging said nuts,means for rotating said screw-shafts to close or open the said grippingdevices, vertically movable standards, proriding bearings for saidscrew-shafts; caps covering said bearings and holding said shafts tosaid standards and a rotary table having sockets in which the stems ofsaid standards are freely set, permitting them to rise independentlysubstantially as set forth.

6. In rotary drilling and boring mechanism, a rotary table having asmooth upper face and recesses in the same, in combination with tubegripping devices, rotary screw-threaded shafts operating the saidgripping devices and supports aifording bearings for said shafts, thesesupports being provided with stems which set freely into said recesses,in order that the said supports, shafts and gripping devices may beatliberty to rise together in case of a sudden upward jar of the ,tube andthat in falling they may have only the smooth surface of the table below them substantially as set forth. a

7. In rotary drilling or boring mechanism, a rotary table having asmooth upper face and recesses in the same,- in combination .with tubegripping devices, means for operating the said gripping devices andsupports for said .means and devices, the said supports setting freelyinto :said recesses in order that said grippingdevices, operating meansand supports may all be free to rise together in case of a sudden upwardjar of the. said tube substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. WIGGS, Jn.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. Samoan, 'Gnonen KADEL.

